Finger Connecting Flute Attachment with Finger Rest Pad

Abstract

The instant invention relates to new attachments for the round tubular body of flutes. It attaches firmly, but removably, to the flute and stabilizes the relation between the flute and the player's left index finger (and / or thumb) without pressure on the player's mouth, which enhances the flexibility of the player's lips to more perfectly play the flute. This is especially beneficial for the player's lower lip, which, under extant art, is forcibly pinned against the lower teeth and gums to stabilize the flute. This invention comprises a finger connector and a spacer attachment to the flute, constituting a comfortable surface for the base of the left index finger and an opening through which the flute player's left index finger (and / or thumb) is inserted, as like wearing a ring.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefits and priority of Provisional Patent Application 62 / 446,401, filed at 15:20:22 Eastern Time on 14 Jan. 2017, by the present inventor, which is incorporated by reference.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH[0002]None.SEQUENCE LISTING[0003]None.BACKGROUND ART[0004]A recurring problem in playing the flute is the awkward positioning required of the hands and fingers for the proper control and operation of the musical instrument, which has an innate tendency to roll because of imbalance from the weight of the keys and other parts of the flute's operating system. Because the player must rapidly shift fingerings between all keys of the flute being depressed to some or all keys being open, producing radically changing support of the flute from the player's fingers, the stability of the flute is imperiled. This instability is reflected both in the difficulty of maintaining the ideal relation between the lips and the flut...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new attachments for the tubular body of flutes which permits stabilizing the flute without undue, or even any, pressure on the player's lower lip while also facilitating complex fingering changes and also providing for both a more comfortable hand position and a more comfortable rest for the player's left index finger (and thumb).DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0016]In a preferred example embodiment, the resilient elastic clip or clamp is constructed and arranged for clipping onto the round tubular flute body between the upper C# tone hole and the upper C finger key for resilient elastic retention. The resilient clip is positioned where the side of the left index finger of a flute player normally rests against the flute body for multiple functions of the left index finger as a pivot point, pressure point and operating finger for the upper C key. To this end the resilient clip is shaped with skewed, irregular, or off center side lobes for elastic retention on the flute body without interfering with the adjacent tone holes or finger keys, with a ring built into it properly centered and set at an appropriate angle for flute stabilization and comfortable and effective index finger function.

[0017]The spacer element or spacer portion of the clip is formed with a comfortable and appropriate thickness to offset or displace the left index finger of a flute player in the radial direction from the flute body a sufficient amount to minimize or avoid cramping and fatiguing of the left index finger and left wrist of a flute player. At the same time the left index finger is free to perform the multiple functions of pivot point, pressure point, and upper C key operations, while also providing great stability and resistance to inadvertent rotation of the flute because of the additional anti-rotational force that is applied to the flute by the player's left index finger via its ring-like flute-finger connector.

[0019]According to another embodiment of the invention, the attachment is constructed and arranged for fastening onto the undersurface of the round tubular flute body between the E and F tone holes of the flute. In this example, the digit rest surface and spacer are positioned on the undersurface of the tubular flute body where the right thumb of a flute player normally rests against the flute body. An appropriate ring or other retention device, such as a ring or a clip into which the tip of the thumb may be inserted, is attached so as to anchor the flute with the thumb in a natural position. The spacer is formed with sufficient thickness to displace or offset the digit rest surface and thumb in a comfortable position.

Problems solved by technology

A recurring problem in playing the flute is the awkward positioning required of the hands and fingers for the proper control and operation of the musical instrument, which has an innate tendency to roll because of imbalance from the weight of the keys and other parts of the flute's operating system.

Because the player must rapidly shift fingerings between all keys of the flute being depressed to some or all keys being open, producing radically changing support of the flute from the player's fingers, the stability of the flute is imperiled.

This instability is reflected both in the difficulty of maintaining the ideal relation between the lips and the flute so as to produce the most perfectly formed notes and in the difficulty of changing fingerings quickly and reliably while also preventing the flute's rolling away from its ideal position.

Maintaining such substantial, constant, balanced, stabilizing pressure, given the rapid and extreme variations in support provided by the player's fingers as different notes are played, is problematic and not always successfully accomplished, leading to the flute rolling about, and incorrect and / or poor quality notes being played.

None of these prescriptions serve other than to reduce the flute's instability a bit, and a serious drawback of current flute playing techniques and all extant prescriptions for mitigating this difficulty is the need for substantial pressure to be exerted by the flute mouthpiece against the player's lower lip.

Such hand positions evidence several problems.

First, they require an awkward and unnatural positioning of the thumb.

Second, such hand positions require substantial steady pressure, which is difficult to maintain when moving the other fingers of the right hand, and which is exacerbated by the fatiguing hand position noted above.

Third, the substantial pressure against the base of the index finger of the left hand is painful and fatiguing after a time, both limiting continuous practice and performance time and being a cause of playing errors.

Fourth, and most problematic, such hand positions rely upon even greater pressure being applied by the flute to the player's lower lip, limiting the flexibility of the lips to shape and form notes in the most ideal way, which is especially problematic given the need of a flute player to widely, flexibly and quickly alter the shape of their lips, their embouchure, in order to best play all of the notes of the flute.

Many parents permit their children to start their music education only with a piano or a violin because wind instruments generally put severe stress and strain on the mouth, teeth and gums, which can distort their development.

However, this device only helps to create some additional friction between the player's hand and the flute, but does not serve to fix that relation in any definite or necessary way, and neither does it reduce substantially the pressure against the player's lower lip needed to stabilize the flute.

Additionally, Tanabe's device does not establish the consistent placement of the player's hand in relation to the flute because it is not fixed to the flute, but to the player's hands.

While both devices assist in proper placement of the hands, and in permitting better playing, neither addresses the inherent instability of the flute caused by the various shifting fingerings and the lack of secure connection between the player and the flute which results in the flute rolling about as the player switches fingerings to produce various notes.

And, none addresses the problem of proper control of the instrument necessitating substantial pressure on the player's lower lip, teeth, and gums.

This differs materially from the instant invention in that it does nothing to address the issue of extant flutes' lack of such support because it does not provide for a stand-alone attachment that can be removably affixed to existing flutes.

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